Use of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in Sustainability Reporting by European Electricity Companies

Transcription

1 Use of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in Sustainability Reporting by European Electricity Companies E Tim Steinweg & Joseph Wilde-Ramsing

2 Use of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in Sustainability Reporting by European Electricity Companies Tim Steinweg & Joseph Wilde-Ramsing Amsterdam, December 2012 SOMO is an independent research organisation. In 1973, SOMO was founded to provide civil society organisations with knowledge on the structure and organisation of multinationals by conducting independent research. SOMO has built up considerable expertise in the following areas, among others: corporate accountability, financial and trade regulation and the position of developing countries regarding the financial industry and trade agreements. Furthermore, SOMO has built up knowledge of many different business fields by conducting sector studies. 2

3 Colophon Use of the GRI in Sustainability Reporting by European Electricity Companies December 2012 Authors: Tim Steinweg & Joseph Wilde-Ramsing ISBN: This research report was commissioned by the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU). The authors would like to thank Jan Willem Goudriaan, Deputy General Secretary of EPSU, for his comments on a draft of the report. The authors would also like to thank the GRI and the companies that responded for their input and comments on drafts of the report. Published by: Stichting Onderzoek Multinationale Ondernemingen (SOMO) Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations Sarphatistraat GL Amsterdam The Netherlands Tel: + 31 (20) Fax: + 31 (20) info@somo.nl Website: Disclaimer: This research was undertaken independently by SOMO, and the conclusions do not represent the views or research conclusions of the Global Reporting Initiative. The foreword represents the views of EPSU. This document is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivateWorks 3.0 License.

4 Contents List of tables... 5 Acronyms... 5 Foreword by Jan Willem Goudriaan, EPSU Introduction Context and point of departure Aim Target groups Scope and research questions Research methods Structure of the report Overview of reporting on selected indicators Reporting per indicator EU 14 - Programs and processes to ensure the availability of a skilled workforce EU 15 - Employees eligible to retire in the next 5 & 10 years EU 16 - Health and safety of employees and employees of contractors EU 17 - Days worked by contractor and subcontractor employees EU 18 - Contractor employees undergoing health and safety training LA1 - Total workforce by employment type, employment contract, and region LA4 - Percentage of employees covered by collective bargaining agreements LA6 - Workforce represented in health and safety committees LA8 - Programs to assist workers and communities regarding serious diseases LA10 - Average hours of training per year per employee Sustainability reporting of energy company shareholders Results and analysis of company reporting on selected GRI Indicators Discrepancies in reporting Reasons for discrepancies in reporting Conclusions and recommendations Conclusions Recommendations Annex 1: List of sources of reporting information for each company

5 List of tables Table 1: General information on the reporting by electric utility companies Table 2: Extent of reporting by company and by indicator Table 3: Companies reporting on the EU14 compilation points Table 4: Companies reporting on the EU15 compilation points Table 5: Companies' reporting on the EU16 compilation points Table 6: Companies reporting on the EU17 compilation points Table 7: Companies reporting on the EU18 compilation points Table 8: Companies reporting on the LA1 compilation points Table 9: Companies reporting on the LA4 compilation points Table 10: Companies reporting on the LA6 compilation points Table 11: Companies reporting on the LA8 compilation points Table 12: Companies reporting on the LA10 compilation points Table 13: Extent of reporting (including discrepancies) by company and indicator, Acronyms CBA Collective bargaining agreement CSR Corporate social responsibility EPSU European Federation of Public Service Unions EUSS Electric Utilities Sector Supplement (of the GRI) EWC European works council FTE Full-time employee GRI Global Reporting Initiative H&S Health and safety SOMO Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations 5

6 Foreword by Jan Willem Goudriaan, EPSU This is the first known study that takes a detailed look at the use of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Framework, which has become a global standard for companies reporting on non-financial aspects of their operations. When the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) commissioned the paper you are now reading, we were not prepared for the findings. We were primarily interested in how European electricity companies report on a limited number of GRI Indicators and its Electricity Utilities Sector Supplement (EUSS). We expected that these indicators would provide a picture of employment and other social trends such as retirement and coverage of collective bargaining in the sector. Differences in reporting could be used by European Works Council representatives and trade union representatives to challenge those companies whose reporting was substandard and to address the impact of demographic change on the sector, as well as improving health and safety, equality and training policies. We were not prepared for the overwhelming number of discrepancies in company reporting and the GRI Application Level they use. Nearly two-thirds of the companies in this study claimed to provide information that they did not actually supply on at least one occasion. This undermines the credibility of the GRI. Companies want to use a high GRI Application Level, as this will make them more attractive for responsible investors. However, the systematic discrepancies found distort reality and disadvantage those companies that take their corporate social responsibility (CSR) and ethical behaviour seriously. Also striking (and disappointing) is the finding that systematic discrepancies were found even among those reports that had been externally checked by professional auditing companies and the GRI itself. The study also makes clear new investors in the electricity sector, including Chinese companies and private equity funds, have substandard reporting. I was part of the EPSU negotiating team that sought to agree a common position with Eurelectric (European electricity employers) on CSR in the electricity sector in We promoted a voluntary approach and use of the GRI Guidelines and the EUSS. The results of this study indicate that this decision should be reviewed. We also expect the European Commission and European Parliament to take the findings into account when considering a proposal on disclosure of non-financial information by companies. Stricter rules and sanctions appear to be necessary. We will also work with members of the European Works Councils to improve reporting. I thank Joseph Wilde-Ramsing and Tim Steinweg for the excellent work and stimulating discussions. Their efforts to ensure that reporting on corporate responsibility generally contributes to more sustainable business practices are remarkable. Jan Willem Goudriaan, Deputy General Secretary European Federation of Public Service Unions 6

7 1. Introduction 1.1. Context and point of departure Companies are required by law to report on a wide range of aspects related to the financial performance of their operations. Reporting on non-financial aspects (such as social and environmental impacts) of corporate activity, on the other hand, is largely left to voluntary initiatives and soft law guidelines and recommendations. Such voluntary and self-regulatory initiatives can add value to overall corporate reporting and disclosure. Voluntary initiatives can drive and highlight best practice and encourage innovative front-runners to continually strive to improve. They encourage leadership and innovation and can improve leaders business credentials and therefore competitiveness. In order to do so, however, it is crucial that such voluntary initiatives should be codified and credible. The sustainability reporting guidelines developed by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) are globally acknowledged to be an important voluntary tool that companies can use to facilitate and improve reporting on non-financial aspects of their operations. The joint statement on CSR by the European electricity sector social partners recognises this, and encourages European electricity companies to understand the GRI Guidelines and use them as a reference standard when developing CSR policies. 1 The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), representing workers in a range of public services including in public and private energy companies, commissioned the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) to conduct research on the use of the GRI Sustainability Reporting Framework, specifically the Electric Utilities Sector Supplement (EUSS) by European electricity companies. This report is the outcome of that research. It provides follow-up to a June 2010 SOMO report entitled European Works Councils and Corporate Social Responsibility in the European Energy Sector Aim The primary aim of the project is to provide an overview of how European electricity companies report on sustainability aspects using the GRI Guidelines, specifically the EUSS as a benchmark. The overview highlights the differences in how the various companies report, the gaps where no (or few) companies report, and seeks to analyse why companies do or do not report on certain issues/indicators. Reporting on CSR and using the GRI and EUSS Guidelines was an important issue for the European social partners in the electricity industry in their 2009 joint statement on CSR. 3 This report can assist their evaluation EPSU, Eurelectric and EMCEF, 2009, Joint Position on the Social Aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility in the European Electricity Industry. EPSU, Eurelectric and EMCEF, Brussels, < (16 October 2012). J. Wilde-Ramsing and T. Kerckhoffs, 2010, European Works Councils and Corporate Social Responsibility in the European Energy Sector. SOMO: Amsterdam, < (15 September 2012). European electricity industry social partners, 2009, < (15 September 2012). 7

8 1.3. Target groups This report is primarily intended to assist European social partners in their understanding of the application of the GRI Framework as a voluntary reporting mechanism. The report also presents findings and conclusions that are relevant for a range of other target groups including the GRI, companies that make use of the GRI Framework: the European Parliament; the European Commission; individual European governments; professional auditing and assuring companies; national and international unions; European Works Councils; civil society organisations; investors; and benchmarking organisations. On the basis of the conclusions of this research, recommendations for each of these target groups are included at the end of this report Scope and research questions The scope of the present research comprises an investigation of the sustainability reporting of 19 European electric utility companies on 10 GRI and EUSS labour-related indicators. The companies (and their country of origin) included are the following: 1. ČEZ Group (ČEZ) (Czech Republic) 2. DELTA (Netherlands) 3. DONG Energy (DONG) (Denmark) 4. Électricité de France (EDF) (France) 5. Ente Nazionale per l Energia elettrica (Enel) (Italy) 6. Electricidade de Portugal (EDP)/Hidrocantábrico (Portugal) 7. E.ON (Germany) 8. Energie-Versorgung Niederösterreich (EVN) (Austria) 9. FORTUM (Finland) 10. Gas Natural Fenosa (Spain) 11. Gaz de France/Suez (GDF Suez) (France) 12. Iberdrola (Spain) 13. Rheinisch-Westfälisches Elektrizitätswerk (RWE) (Germany) 14. National Grid (UK) 15. Statkraft (Norway) 16. TenneT (Netherlands) 17. Vattenfall (Sweden) 18. Veolia Environnement (Veolia) (France) 19. Verbund (Austria) Mid-way through the research trajectory, it was decided to include the Russian company Gazprom Neft in the study. As a result, the company is included in the overview of reporting per indicator (Chapter 2), but not in the further analysis per indicator (Chapter 3). The 10 selected indicators are: EU14. Programs and processes to ensure the availability of a skilled workforce. EU15. Percentage of employees eligible to retire in the next 5 and 10 years broken down by job category and by region. EU16. Policies and requirements regarding health and safety of employees and employees of contractors and subcontractors. 8

9 EU17. Days worked by contractor and subcontractor employees involved in construction, operation and maintenance activities. EU18. Percentage of contractor and subcontractor employees that have undergone relevant health and safety training. LA1. Total workforce by employment type, employment contract and region, broken down by gender. LA4. Percentage of employees covered by collective bargaining agreements. LA6. Percentage of total workforce represented in formal joint management worker health and safety committees that help monitor and advise on occupational health and safety programmes. LA8. Education, training, counselling, prevention, and risk-control programmes in place to assist workforce members, their families or community members regarding serious diseases. LA10. Average hours of training per year per employee by gender, and by employee category. G3 versus G3.1 In early 2011, the GRI updated its Reporting Framework to version 3.1. One of the elements that was included in the updated version G3.1 was a further breakdown of reporting by gender. 4 Companies have a choice to either use G3 or G3.1. For most of the indicators included in this research, this update had no significant consequences. The only indicator relevant for this research that changed significantly was LA1 (Total workforce by employment type, employment contract and region, broken down by gender). This did not include the element of gender in the previous version G3, which was used for creating the EUSS. In Chapter 3, it is specified per company whether gender has been included in the reporting or not. Research questions For each of the selected companies, the present report aims to answer the following research questions: 1. Does the company use the GRI Guidelines? 2. Does the company use the EUSS? 3. If the company uses the GRI Guidelines, what GRI Application level did it use for its 2011 report? 4. Has the 2011 report been externally verified and has the application level been checked? 5 5. If the company uses the EUSS, how did it report on the 10 selected indicators? 6. What general gaps in reporting can be found and what are the reasons for such gaps? 1.5. Research methods The primary sources of information for this research are the selected companies 2011 CSR/sustainability reports and associated or accompanying websites. For all the reports that have been written using the GRI Guidelines, the GRI content indexes of each report have been used to locate the relevant information for each of the indicators within the CSR/sustainability reports. The initial research into company reporting on the selected indicators focused on the information as indexed by the company itself in the GRI Index of its CSR/sustainability report. Additional information was gathered using the database of reports as published on the GRI website. This database provides basic information on reports, such as the GRI Application Level, whether it has been externally verified 4 5 Meeting with GRI staff, 8 August This question was not part of the original project proposal, but has been identified as a relevant element in assessing the reporting of the companies. 9

10 and whether the GRI or a third party has checked the rating of the report. Additional information was collected directly from company representatives during the review procedure (see below). A full list of all of the sources of reporting information used for each of the selected companies can be found in Annex 1. In Chapter 3, further analysis is conducted on each of the indicators. This analysis makes use of the GRI Content Index template and Checklist, which provides detailed guidance for companies on the requirements for each indicator. 6 Each indicator is broken down according to compilation points, specifying the information required to attain a full reporting level on this indicator. Companies are assessed according to whether they report on each of these compilation points. Further information to help interpret these compilation points and the reasoning for the inclusion was gathered from the GRI Indicator Protocols. 7 As SOMO researchers began collecting data to answer the research questions, it quickly became evident that it was going to be very difficult, if not impossible, to conduct an adequate analysis of the content of reporting for each of the indicators (i.e. research questions #5 and #6) due to the large number of discrepancies between the degree to which a company claims that it reports on the various indicators in the GRI Content Index, and the actual degree of reporting on the indicators and compilation points. As a result, this research was only able to partially answer research questions #5 and #6, and the focus of the analysis of the report shifted toward identifying the frequency of discrepancies and the reasons they occur. For each of the selected companies, a company partial profile was created. Each partial profile included all of the information reported by the companies on each of the selected GRI Indicators. As part of SOMO s standard review procedure, all of the companies for which discrepancies were found received a draft of the findings (i.e. their draft partial profile ), along with a number of questions about the discrepancies that had been found. The companies were allowed two weeks to provide answers to the questions and corrections to the draft. Seven companies made use of the opportunity and provided input: Dong, Fortum, Iberdrola, RWE, Statkraft, Vattenfall and Verbund. Their comments were incorporated into the present report. Enel, EDP Hidrocantábrico, GDF Suez, TenneT, Veolia did not respond to multiple requests from SOMO to provide comments on a draft. Delta, EVN, and Gas Natural Fenosa initially indicated that they would comment on a draft, but later were unable to do so. EDF, E.ON and National Grid indicated their willingness to provide comments, but since no discrepancies were found in their reporting on the selected indicators, this was not necessary. In addition to the energy companies themselves, two companies (Statkraft and Fortum) sent the draft partial profile to their auditing/assuring firm, Deloitte, which also provided comments that have been incorporated into the present report. The partial profiles themselves are too long to be included in the present report, but are available to the reader upon request. Finally, SOMO presented the preliminary results of the research to members of European Works Councils (EWCs) of the selected companies at a meeting organised by EPSU on 26 September Structure of the report The structure of this report follows the research design. Chapter 2 gives an overview of the use of the GRI Guidelines for each of the companies included in this research, as well as the extent of their 6 7 GRI website, Content Index and Checklist, < (18 November 2012). GRI website, Electric Utilities Sector Supplement, < (18 November 2012). 10

11 reporting for each of the included indicators. Chapter 3 presents more detailed data for each of the indicators, and looks at whether companies that indicate full reporting on an indicator actually address each of the compilation points. Chapter 4 looks at the sustainability reporting of some of the shareholders and owners of European utility companies. Chapter 5 offers a summary and analysis of the major findings of this research, while Chapter 6 draws conclusions and formulates the recommendations for each of the target groups. 11

12 2. Overview of reporting on selected indicators Table 1 presents an overview of the reporting by each of the companies on the GRI Indicators selected for analysis in the present study. The table contains information on the following: whether the company publishes a CSR/sustainability report; whether the company made use of the GRI Guidelines in their most recent CSR/sustainability report; whether the company made use of the EUSS; whether the report was externally assured; whether the application level has been checked; whether the CSR/sustainability report was integrated in the annual reporting; and the GRI Application Level of the report. ČEZ Group is the only company that did not publish a CSR/sustainability report. Veolia did not make use of the GRI Guidelines in its 2010 or 2011 CSR reports (although it had done so in previous years), so no analysis was conducted on Veolia s reporting. DELTA published a 2010 CSR report using the GRI Guidelines, but has not yet published a 2011 report. The analysis of DELTA s reporting is thus based on its 2010 report. All the other companies reported in accordance with the GRI Guidelines. Of this group, 12 out of 15 companies also made use of the EUSS, seven had their full report externally assured, and six had their Application Level checked by the GRI. Reports of six companies were on Application Level A+, indicating the most extensive use of the GRI Guidelines and that the report was externally assured. 12

13 Table 1: General information on the reporting by electric utility companies Company ČEZ Group Published a CSR/ sustainability report NO, only one chapter on the environment in its latest Annual report Use of GRI Use of the EUSS GRI version Report externally assured Application level checked CSR/sustainability report in annual report No No N/A No No No N/A DELTA YES YES No Unclear No No No C DONG Energy YES YES YES G3 Entire sustainability report E.ON YES YES YES G3 Limited/moderate NO self-declared Third-party-checked NO B+ NO, but CR section in the annual report EDF YES YES NO G3 Partially NO NO N/A GRI Application Level of 2011 report B+ EDP/ Hidrocantábrico YES YES YES G3.1 Limited/moderate GRI-checked YES A+ Enel YES YES YES G3.1 YES GRI-checked NO A+ EVN YES YES YES G3.1 YES Third-party-checked YES A+ Fortum YES YES YES G3.1 Limited/moderate Third-party-checked YES B+ Gas Natural Fenosa YES YES YES G3.1 Limited/moderate GRI-checked NO A+ Gazprom Neft YES YES NO G3.1 NO NO self declared NO B GDF Suez YES YES NO Unclear YES GRI-checked NO B+ Iberdrola YES YES YES G3.1 YES GRI-checked NO A+ National Grid YES YES NO G3 Only for environmental data NO NO Not reported RWE YES YES YES G3 Moderate GRI-checked NO A+ Statkraft TenneT YES, a CR statement YES YES G3 YES Third-party-checked YES B+ YES YES YES G3 NO NO NO C Vattenfall YES YES YES G3 Entire sustainability report Third-party-checked NO B+ Veolia YES NO NO N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Verbund YES YES YES G3 Limited Third-party-checked NO A+ 13

14 Table 2 shows the level of reporting of the companies for each of the indicators. It should be noted that this information is reported by the companies themselves. As will be noted in Chapter 3, a number of discrepancies were found between the reported levels and the actual information provided in the CSR reports. An overview of these discrepancies is provided in Chapter 5. The only exceptions are EDF, National Grid, Statkraft and Vattenfall. These companies only reveal whether they report on an indicator, but do not reveal whether they report fully or partially. For these companies, the reported score below represents SOMO s evaluation. None of the companies report fully on all the indicators included in this report. Enel and Iberdrola are the two best scorers, only reporting partially on one of the indicators, while EVN reports partially on two indicators. The indicator LA6, regarding health and safety committees is the one that least companies report on as eight reporting companies (including Gazprom Neft) do not address this indicator. Indicator LA10, dealing with training hours, is the indicator for which the companies differ the most as six companies report fully, eight report partially and three do not address the indicator. EU16, EU17 and LA8 are indicators for which most of the companies (eight, eight and ten respectively) indicate that they report fully. 14

15 Table 2: Extent of reporting by company and by indicator Company EU14 EU15 EU16 EU17 EU18 LA1 LA4 LA6 LA8 LA10 ČEZ Group n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a DELTA* n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Partial** None None Partial** Partial** DONG Energy Partial Full Full None Full Full Full None Full None EDF* n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Partial** Full** None None Partial** EDP/Hidrocantábrico Full Full Full Full Partial Partial Partial Full Full Full Enel Full Full Full Full Full Full Partial Full Full Full E.ON Partial Partial Partial None Partial Partial Partial Partial Partial Partial EVN Full Full Partial Full Partial Full Full Full Full Full Fortum None None Full Full Partial Full Partial Full Partial None Gas Natural Fenosa Full Full Full Partial Full Full Full Full Full Partial Gazprom Neft n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Partial None None Partial Partial GDF Suez n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Full Partial Partial Full Full Iberdrola Full Full Full Full Full Partial Full Full Full Full National Grid* n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Partial** Partial** None None Partial** RWE Full Full Full Partial Full Partial Partial None Full Partial Statkraft* Partial** None Partial** None Partial** Partial** Partial** None None None TenneT None None None None None Full Full None Partial Partial Vattenfall* Partial** Partial** Partial** Partial** Partial** Partial** Full** Full** Full** Partial** Veolia n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Verbund Full Full Full None Full Partial Full Full Full Full * Company does not indicate the extent of its reporting on this indicator, only provides a yes (reports) or no (does not report) indication. ** SOMO s evaluation of the company s reporting on this indicator. 15

16 3. Reporting per indicator This chapter looks at each of the EUSS indicators in more detail. First the compilation points are listed, which provide the building blocks on how a company should report for that indicator. As confirmed by GRI staff, each of these points would have to be addressed to merit a full reporting score on that indicator, unless the company explicitly indicates that it has a valid reason for omission for a particular compilation point or points. EU 14 - Programs and processes to ensure the availability of a skilled workforce The EU14 indicator is broken down into the following compilation points: Programs to assess skills needed in the workforce Training programs including apprenticeship programs for new workers and specialized training on existing and new technologies for existing workers. On-going higher education for qualified technical workers, for example electrical and mechanical engineers. Training partnerships between utility and technical institutions to develop capacity. The development of local employees when a utility is operating outside its national borders. Programs to source workers from beyond national boundaries and country of origin recruitment policies and consideration of impact to the home country. Programs to attract and retain employees and include a reference to diversity including gender and race. Table 3 provides an overview of the companies reporting on the EU 14 indicator and its component compilation points. Of the 13 companies that claim to use the EUSS in their reporting: seven claim that they report fully on the EU14 indicator two (Dong Energy and E.ON) claim that they report partially on the indicator two (Fortum and TenneT) note that they do not report on the indicator. Two companies (Statkraft and Vattenfall) do not indicate whether they report fully or partially, but are assessed to provide only partial information on this indicator. It is interesting to note that not a single one of seven companies that claim to report fully on the indicator actually reports on all of the compilation points of this GRI Indicator. In fact, most of the companies address less than half of the compilation points. RWE is the company that reports most fully on this indicator, addressing six of the seven compilation points. The companies seem to have particular difficulty reporting on policies and programmes for ensuring a skilled workforce outside their home country. For example, none of the companies in the present study reports anything on the compilation point related to sourcing workers from beyond national boundaries and the impact on workers home countries. Similarly, only four of the companies (RWE, EVN, Gas Natural Fenosa and Iberdrola) report on the compilation point related to developing the skills of local employees when operating beyond national borders. 16

17 Verbund does indicate that this compilation point is not relevant for the company since nearly 100% of its workforce is located within Austria, 8 but the majority of companies simply do not mention the issue at all. Another major point of discrepancy relates to reporting on programmes to attract and retain employees, including a reference to diversity including gender and race. Although many companies do report on a programme to attract and retain employees, only one company (Verbund) references gender diversity. None make mention of diversity of race. Another compilation point on which less than half of the EUSS companies report is programmes to assess skills needed in the workforce. Only five companies (RWE, EDP/Hidrocantábrico, Enel, Iberdrola and Vattenfall) report on this issue.among the companies that claim to report fully on the EU14 indicator, the following discrepancies in reporting have been identified: EDP/Hidrocantábrico does not address the two compilation points related to workers outside national borders. Enel claims that it reports fully on the indicator but in fact does not address any of the compilation points completely. The company reports partially on three compilation points and not at all on four of the points. EVN claims that it reports fully on the indicator but in fact only addresses one of the compilation points completely. Gas Natural Fenosa claims that it reports fully on the indicator, but does not address the two compilation points related to workers outside national borders or the point on assessing skills needed in the workforce. Iberdrola claims that it reports fully on the indicator, but does not address the compilation point related to impact on workers home country nor the point related to attracting and retaining a diversity of employees. Iberdrola provided SOMO with a response to this finding, in which they explain that the impact on workers home country is indirectly addressed through the company s mentioning of the programmes it offers, which have been attended by managers and employees from the different regions where the company is active. Therefore, the programmes to ensure a skilled workforce have an impact on the workers home countries. Iberdrola also states that its position on attracting and retaining a diverse workforce is made clear throughout the entire report, rather than specifically mentioned for this indicator. RWE addresses six of the seven compilation points. The company does not address the compilation points on programmes to source workers from beyond national boundaries. Verbund claims that it reports fully on the indicator but in fact only addresses two of the compilation points completely (as well as one partially, indicating that one is not relevant for its operations). In response to SOMO questions regarding this discrepancy, Verbund points to the sections of its CSR report that refer to apprentice trainings, training programmes for skilled workers, its trainee programme, its programmes with gifted technical students and its promotion of the position of women in its workforce. 9 The company also explains that its handful of employees abroad are not included in the report as they are employed by subsidiaries that are not fully consolidated. A number of other elements from the compilation points, such as the programmes to assess needed skills or the reference to race diversity, are not addressed. 8 9 Verbund, GRI Index 2011, < (28 August 2012). Verbund, responses to SOMO questions, received 4 October

18 Table 3: Companies reporting on the EU14 compilation points Company How does the company claim to report on this indicator? Program to assess skills needed in the workforce. Training programs including apprenticeship programs for new workers and specialized training on existing and new technologies for existing workers. On-going higher education for qualified technical workers, for example, electrical and mechanical engineers Training partnerships between utility and technical institutions to develop capacity The development of local employees when a utility is operating outside its national borders Programs to source workers from beyond national boundaries and country of origin recruitment policies and consideration of impact to the home country Programs to attract and retain employees and include a reference to diversity including gender and race ČEZ Group n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a DELTA n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a DONG Energy Partially No Partial, only reference to existing workers Yes No No No No EDF n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a EDP/ Hidrocantábrico Enel Fully Yes Yes Implicit Yes No No Fully Yes, but not specifically on needed skills Partial, only reference to existing workers No No No No Yes, but no reference to diversity Yes, reference to incentive system but no mention of diversity E.ON Partially No Yes No No No No No EVN Fully No Yes, reference to apprenticeship and trainings of existing workers, but only regarding leadership and not technical No Yes Yes, but only on leadership No No Fortum None n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Gas Natural Fenosa Fully No Yes, but only reference to programmes for existing workers Yes Yes Yes No No GDF Suez n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Iberdrola Fully Yes Yes, but only reference to existing workers Yes Yes Yes No No National Grid n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 18

19 RWE Fully Yes Yes, but only refers to apprenticeships Yes, but specific mention of young professionals Yes Yes No Yes Statkraft* Partially** No Yes No No No No TenneT None n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Vattenfall* Partially** Yes Yes, but only reference tof existing employees No No No No Veolia n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Verbund Fully No Yes Yes No No, though not very relevant because nearly 100% of workforce is in Austria * Company does not indicate the extent of its reporting on this indicator, only provides a yes (reports) or no (does not report) indication. ** SOMO s evaluation of the company s reporting on this indicator. No Yes, but no mention of diversity Yes, but no mention of diversity Partial, reference to gender but not to race 19

20 EU 15 - Employees eligible to retire in the next 5 & 10 years The EU15 indicator relates to the percentage of employees eligible to retire in the next 5 and 10 years broken down by job category and by region. The indicator is broken down into the following compilation points: The actual or estimated percentage of employees eligible to retire over the next 5 year period broken down by category and region. The actual or estimated percentage of employees eligible to retire over the next 10 year period broken down by category and region. Table 4 provides an overview of the companies reporting on the EU 15 indicator and its component compilation points. Of the 13 companies that claim to follow the EUSS in their reporting, eight claim that they report fully on the EU15 indicator, one (E.ON) claims that it reports partially on the indicator, and three (Fortum, Statkraft and TenneT) note that they do not report on the indicator. Vattenfall does not indicate the extent of their reporting on this indicator, but are deemed to provide only partial information. A detailed look at the companies reporting on the individual compilation points reveals that only three of the companies (Enel, Gas Natural Fenosa and Iberdrola) report in a complete manner on both of the points. Among the companies that claim to report fully on the EU15 indictor, the following discrepancies in reporting have been identified. DONG Energy does not address either of the compilation points. In a response from Dong Energy about this particular indicator, the company indicates that there is no fixed retirement age in Denmark, and that it therefore used the age category of 56+. This allows for comparisons over the years. The company also indicates that it has answered this indicator from a materiality perspective, only reporting on Denmark where 90% of the workforce is active. 10 EDP/Hidrocantábrico only reports on the compilation points by category, not by region. EVN does not break down the compilation points either by category or region. RWE does provide the percentages of the age distribution of its workforce, but does not break these figures down by job category or region. Verbund provides information on both compilation points, but does not break it down according to job category. In response to SOMO questions, the company does indicate that it is not material to break these figures down by region, as its main activities take place in Austria and Germany Dong Energy, responses to SOMO questions, received 28 September Verbund, responses to SOMO questions, received 4 October

21 Table 4: Companies reporting on the EU15 compilation points Company How does the company claim to report on this indicator? The actual or estimated percentage of employees eligible to retire over the next 5 year period broken down by category and region ČEZ Group n/a n/a n/a DELTA n/a n/a n/a DONG Energy Fully No No EDF n/a n/a n/a EDP/ Hidrocantábrico Fully Partially, only broken down by category Enel Fully Yes Yes E.ON Partially No No The actual or estimated percentage of employees eligible to retire over the next 10 year period broken down by category and region Partially, only broken down by category EVN Fully Yes, but not broken down Yes, but not broken down Fortum None No No Gas Natural Fenosa Fully Yes Yes GDF Suez n/a n/a n/a Iberdrola Fully Yes Yes National Grid n/a n/a n/a RWE Fully No Statkraft* None No No TenneT None No No No, only an imprecise indication ( around half of the employees ) and not broken down Vattenfall* Partially** Yes, but not broken down Yes, but not broken down Veolia n/a n/a n/a Yes, but not broken down by Verbund Fully Yes, but not broken down by category category * Company does not indicate the extent of its reporting on this indicator, only provides a yes (reports) or no (does not report) indication. ** SOMO s evaluation of the company s reporting on this indicator. EU 16 - Health and safety of employees and employees of contractors The EU16 indicator relates to policies and requirements regarding health and safety of employees and employees of contractors and subcontractors. The indicator is specified by the following compilation point: Policies and requirements, including monitoring and compliance systems in place related to health and safety training of employees and employees of contractors and subcontractors. Table 5 provides an overview of the companies reporting on the EU 16 indicator and its single component compilation point. Of the 13 companies that claim to follow the EUSS in their reporting, eight claim that they report fully on the EU16 indicator, two (E.ON and EVN) claim that they report partially on the indicator, and one (TenneT) notes that it does not report on the indicator. Statkraft and Vattenfall do not indicate the extent of their reporting, but are deemed to provide only partial information. 21

22 Table 5: Companies' reporting on the EU16 compilation points Company How does the company claim to report on this indicator? ČEZ Group n/a n/a DELTA n/a n/a DONG Energy Fully Yes, marginal information EDF n/a n/a EDP/Hidrocantábrico Fully Yes Enel Fully E.ON Partially Yes, marginal information EVN Partially Policies and requirements, including monitoring and compliance systems in place related to health and safety training of employees and employees of contractors and subcontractors Yes, related to sanctions and tender requirements for subcontractors Yes, works with only selected partners that are properly trained and regulation compliance is monitored Fortum Fully Yes, realisation of safety targets are monitored Gas Natural Fenosa Fully Yes GDF Suez n/a n/a Iberdrola Fully Yes National Grid n/a n/a RWE Fully Yes Statkraft* Partially** No TenneT None No Vattenfall* Partially** No Veolia n/a n/a Verbund Fully Yes * Company does not indicate the extent of its reporting on this indicator, only indicates that it does report on the indicator. ** SOMO s evaluation of the company s reporting on this indicator. EU 17 - Days worked by contractor and subcontractor employees The EU17 indicator relates to days worked by contractor and subcontractor employees involved in construction, operation and maintenance activities. The indicator is broken down into the following compilation points: Report days worked by contractor and subcontractor employees. An estimate, based on the contract terms or actual time worked, full time equivalent (FTE) days worked by contractor and subcontractor employees on electric utility systems broken down by construction. An estimate, based on the contract terms or actual time worked, FTE days worked by (sub)contractor employees on electric utility systems broken down by operation activities. An estimate, based on the contract terms or actual time worked, FTE days worked by contractor and subcontractor employees on electric utility systems broken down by maintenance activities. Table 6 provides an overview of the companies reporting on the EU17 indicator and its single component compilation point. Of the 13 companies that claim to follow the EUSS in their reporting, five claim that they report fully on the EU17 indicator, two (Gas Natural Fenosa and RWE) claim 22

23 that they report partially on the indicator, and an alarming five (DONG, E.ON, Statkraft, TenneT and Verbund) note that they do not report on the indicator. A detailed look at the companies reporting on the individual compilation points reveals that Enel is the only company that reports in a complete manner on all four of the points. None of the companies except Enel provides an estimation of the FTE days worked by (sub)contractor employees on electric utility systems broken down by construction, operation activities or maintenance activities (i.e. the latter three compilation points). Among the companies that claim to report fully on the EU17 indicator, the following discrepancies in reporting have been identified: EDP/Hidrocantábrico only reports on the days worked by the employees of (sub)contractors. It does not provide a breakdown of those involved in construction, operation and maintenance activities. EVN does not address any of the compilation points (though it does report that it does not report on the issues in the points). Fortum only reports on the days worked by the employees of (sub)contractors. It does not provide a breakdown of those involved in construction, operation and maintenance activities. In response to SOMO s questions regarding this discrepancy, the company indicates that it has followed the EUSS to the extent possible and that it believes that the compilation points are for reference only and are not mandatory. 12 This is further discussed in the analysis chapter of this report. Iberdrola does not address any of the compilation points (though it does report that it does not report on the issues in the points). Iberdrola provided a response regarding this particular indicator. The company states that it believes it reports fully by indicating that it does not consider it necessary to collect formal statistics on this. At the same time, the company recognises that it could have been an alternative to state that the indicator is not a material/relevant aspect for Iberdrola, rather than indicate full reporting Fortum, responses to SOMO questions, received 30 September Iberdrola, responses to SOMO questions, received 28 September

24 Table 6: Companies reporting on the EU17 compilation points Company How does the company claim to report on this indicator? Report days worked by contractor and subcontractor employees FTE days worked by contractor and subcontractor employees on electric utility systems broken down by construction FTE days worked by contractor and subcontractor employees on electric utility systems broken down by operation activities ČEZ Group n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a DELTA n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a DONG Energy None No No No No EDF n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a EDP/ Hidrocantábrico Fully Yes No No No Enel Fully Yes Yes Yes Yes E.ON None No No No No EVN Fully No, but indicates it does not report No No No Fortum Fully Yes No No No Gas Natural Fenosa Partially Partial No No No GDF Suez n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Iberdrola Fully No, but indicates it does not report No No No National Grid n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a RWE Partially No No, but indicates contractors are used No, but indicates contractors are used Statkraft* None No No No No TenneT None No No No No Vattenfall* Partially** No No No Veolia n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a Verbund None No No No No FTE days worked by contractor and subcontractor employees on electric utility systems broken down by maintenance activities No, but indicates contractors are used No, but indicates contractors are used * Company does not indicate the extent of its reporting on this indicator, only provides a yes (reports) or no (does not report) indication. ** SOMO s evaluation of the company s reporting on this indicator. EU 18 - Contractor employees undergoing health and safety training The EU18 indicator relates to the percentage of contractor and subcontractor employees that have undergone relevant health and safety training. The indicator is broken down into the following compilation points: Total number of contractor and subcontractor employees by category that have undergone health and safety training. Percentage of the total number of contractor employees and subcontractor employees in each category. 24

25 Table 7 provides an overview of the companies reporting on the EU18 indicator and its single component compilation point. Of the 13 companies that claim to follow the EUSS in their reporting, six claim that they report fully on the EU18 indicator, six claim that they report partially on the indicator, and one (TenneT) notes that it does not report on the indicator. A detailed look at the companies reporting on the individual compilation points reveals that DONG is the only company that reports in a complete manner on both of the points. Only three of the companies (DONG, EDP/Hidrocantábrico and RWE) report by category on the total number of contractor and subcontractor employees that have undergone health and safety training (compilation point 1). Among the companies that claim to report fully on the EU18 indicator, the following discrepancies in reporting have been identified. Enel does not report by category on the total number of contractor and subcontractor employees that have undergone health and safety training. Gas Natural Fenosa does not report on either of the compilation points, but it does note that subcontractors are obliged to provide training to their employees. Iberdrola does not report on either of the compilation points, but it does note that subcontractors are obliged to provide training to their employees. In a response to this particular discrepancy, Iberdrola states that it provides information about contractor and subcontractor training and that 100% of these workers have received training. Therefore, the company believes that it fully reports on this indicator. 14 However, Iberdrola does not address the compilation point of the total number of contractor and subcontractor employees that have received health and safety training either in its CSR report, or in the response to SOMO. Verbund does not report directly by category on the total number of contractor and subcontractor employees that have undergone health and safety training. The company does report that 100% of (sub)contractors undergo training, and in another area of the report the company provides the total number of contractor employees. The required information can thus be pieced together, but it is not provided integrally in the Content Index. 14 Iberdrola, responses to SOMO questions, received 28 Septebmer

26 Table 7: Companies reporting on the EU18 compilation points Company How does the company claim to report on this indicator? Total number of contractor and subcontractor employees by category that have undergone health and safety training ČEZ Group n/a n/a n/a DELTA n/a n/a n/a DONG Energy Fully Yes Yes EDF n/a n/a n/a EDP/Hidrocantábrico Partially Yes No Enel Fully No Yes Percentage of the total number of contractor employees and subcontractor employees in each category E.ON Partially No EVN Partially No No, but states it is a binding requirement No, but states the subcontractors are obliged to provide the training Fortum Partially No No Gas Natural Fenosa Fully No No, but states the subcontractors are obliged to provide the training GDF Suez n/a n/a n/a Iberdrola Fully No No, but states the subcontractors are obliged to provide the training National Grid n/a n/a n/a RWE Fully Yes Yes Statkraft* Partially** No Yes TenneT None No No Vattenfall* Partially** No No Veolia n/a n/a n/a Verbund Fully No Yes * Company does not indicate the extent of its reporting on this indicator, only provides a yes (reports) or no (does not report) indication. ** SOMO s evaluation of the company s reporting on this indicator. LA1 - Total workforce by employment type, employment contract, and region The LA1 indicator relates to total workforce by employment type, employment contract, and region (broken down by gender). LA1 is the only indicator included in this research for which the G3.1 version is different from the G3 version. In the G3.1 version, several of the compilation points listed below also require a breakdown by gender. Table 8 includes an additional column that indicates whether the provided data are broken down by gender for those companies that report in accordance with G